Motherwell get a lesson in finishing in Ayr

14 July 2012 08:07

Motherwell's reward for two week's pre-season training was a 4-0 defeat to Ayr United at Somerset Park. The score suggests that the SPL outfit have a long way to go before they achieve match sharpness.

Only McHugh and Hutchison can be excused from the tongue lashing that should follow this poor result. They took no part in the game that saw us line up with a back four of Saunders, Page, Ramsden and Hammell. The midfielders were Hateley, Lasley, Law and Humphrey and Murphy and Higdon were the ineffective strikers.

Murphy missed several chances before Ayr took the lead with a Roberson header. Chrish Humphrey will blush if he sees a replay of his slack pass back that gave Moffat and easy goal. We were two down with half an hour gone.

Hopes of a second half revival disappeared when Campbell headed Ayr’s third goal. Ojamaa and Daley were on by now instead of Higdon and Humphrey. By the hour McCall had seen enough and sent on 7 (seven) substitutes – no doubt kit man McDonald and the MFC TV commentary team would have been introduced to the game if they had the foresight to travel with their football boots.

The much altered team lost another when Sinclair blasted home a fine shot from twenty yards.

If there was any hint of complacency about our level of preparation for the new season it was cruelly snuffed out. There remains a lot of hard work ahead but thankfully we have a chance to score a goal or two at Kirkcaldy on Tuesday evening.